Monitor OSD Control via Keyboard Microcontroller Input Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to control a monitor's on-screen display (OSD) effectively, especially with thinner bezels making physical buttons inaccessible, and replacing them with touch buttons on screens is undesirable due to the high cost of touch screens.
Innovation Solution
Configuring a microcontroller in a keyboard, mouse, or human interface device to detect OSD commands and route input directly to the monitor, allowing users to control the OSD using a keyboard or mouse, with a filter driver on the monitor to manage secure commands and routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If physical buttons are positioned on the rear of the monitor to accommodate thinner bezels, then the monitor design is improved, but the user cannot easily access and see the buttons while viewing the OSD
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard and mouse are configured to serve dual functions: their primary function for controlling the computing device, and a secondary function for controlling the monitor's OSD. By detecting specific input patterns (OSD commands) from these existing input devices, the system enables OSD control without requiring dedicated physical buttons on the monitor, thus maintaining thin bezel design while preserving ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If physical buttons are replaced with soft buttons on the screen, then button accessibility is improved, but the screen must be a touch screen which increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
Existing input devices (keyboard and mouse) are made multi-functional by enabling them to control both the computing device and the monitor's OSD. The keyboard microcontroller or mouse driver detects specific input patterns representing OSD commands and routes these inputs to the monitor, allowing soft-button-like functionality without requiring a touch screen.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of implementing physical buttons or touch-screen soft buttons, the patent creates a virtual mapping of button functions to keyboard keys and mouse actions. The keyboard or mouse inputs are processed to simulate button presses, effectively copying the functionality of physical buttons through software interpretation of standard input device signals.
3Productivity
If keyboard or mouse input is always sent to the computing device, then the computing device receives all input, but the monitor's OSD cannot be controlled by these input devices
Solution Approach 1:
The input routing system is made dynamic by continuously monitoring keyboard and mouse inputs for specific OSD command patterns. When an OSD command is detected, the system dynamically switches the routing destination from the computing device to the monitor. This dynamic routing allows the same input devices to serve both the computing device and the monitor contextually, enabling OSD control while maintaining normal computing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A filter driver or microcontroller acts as an intermediary between the input devices and the computing device. This intermediary layer intercepts keyboard and mouse inputs, analyzes them for OSD command patterns, and selectively routes appropriate inputs to the monitor while allowing other inputs to pass through to the computing device. This mediation enables dual functionality without disrupting normal input flow.
Data Source
AI summary
A monitor's OSD can be selectively controlled with a keyboard, mouse or other human interface device. A microcontroller of a keyboard, mouse or other human interface device can be configured to detect the occurrence of input representing an OSD command. In response, the microcontroller can commence sending input to the monitor rather than to the computing device so that the input can control the OSD. Similarly, a filter driver on the monitor can be configured to detect the occurrence of input representing the OSD command. In response, the filter driver can commence sending input to the monitor's scalar rather than to the computing device.